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Michael John Halligan
Michael John Halligan II is a student in his junior year at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. He is pursuing in the field of Broadcasting & Electronic Media (BEM) at the Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication and has a minor in Enterprise Studies. Born in Arlington, TX after being named after his father, his parents decided to call him Michael John so the two men of the family would never ever get mixed up. For the first six years of his life, Michael John lived in Arlington, TX where he enjoyed going to nearby destinations such as the Six Flag Over Texas amusement park and the Texas Rangers Ballpark for baseball games. Michael John and his family moved to the suburb of Flower Mound, TX when he was seven years old and his family has resided there ever since. Michael John was raised a Catholic and even attended private Catholic school at Holy Trinity Catholic School for six years (third-eighth grade) in Grapevine, TX. He wanted to go to school close to home during high school so he then attended Flower Mound High School, a less than five minute drive away from home. Michael John gained a strong interest for the University of Oklahoma after making a college visit to Norman, OK in his junior year of high school. He fell in love with the Mass Communication program and the Gaylord Hall building that OU had to offer. It was in due time his senior year when Michael John received an acceptance letter from OU in October 2009, and immediately made a firm decision to attend there in August 2010. Although he leads a busy academic and social life in Norman, Michael John always makes room for his family. Visiting North Texas to see his parents in Flower Mound and aunt, uncle and cousins in Corinth, TX close by, Michael John is aware that family always comes first and strives on that value every day of his life. The history behind his mother, Doreen, and father, Michael, have made Michael John Halligan the person he is today filled with much confidence, love, and care due to his strong family background and history. Motherhood History Michael John's mother, Doreen Halligan (maiden name Ferrara), was born on November 22, 1959 and raised in The Bronx of New York City. She has one older sister (Mary Ellen Balthaser) and two younger sisters (Jackie Kilty and Joan Vallee). The parents of these four daughters are full blood Italians: Estelle and Anthony Ferrara. Raised in the Brooklyn area, Anthony met Estelle at a pizza restaurant on the street corner of where the two individually lived. After dating about half a year, the couple became engaged and married four months later. They sporadically had the four daughters throughout their marriage, with Mary Ellen and Michael John's mom, Doreen, being born in the first decade of their marriage, and Jackie and Joan being born in the second decade of their marriage, respectively. Always full of fun and energy, the Ferrara household growing up never had a dull moment. Anthony would work the night shifts and work around the house in the daytime while Estelle would care for the daughters whether it be taking the older ones to school or watching the younger ones at home. The Ferrara family strived on home cooked dinner meals with both Anthony and Estelle cooking up Italian dishes in the kitchen at least five nights a week. Michael John’s passion for tasty and delicious food mostly comes from his mother’s side that in addition cooks for the Halligan family on the weekends when Michael John is home. Since there was always something going on in the Ferrara family, conflicts would be resolved rather quickly due to the fact that Anthony would tolerate 100% respect towards everyone who resided in his household. Every individual in the Ferrara strived on having a family one day and currently do with each Ferrara daughter having a husband and one or more children. Mary Ellen married Todd Balthaser and eventually had a daughter named Alyssa, who is now the oldest cousin from Michael John’s motherhood history. Jackie married Jeff Kilty and had two kids Kayla and Sam, respectively. Finally, Michael John’s closest aunt, Joan, met his closest uncle, Mike Valle and the two had Hayle and Hayden in the 2000s. The Ferrara family values love, fun, comfort, happiness and most importantly, care. Doreen gets her overwhelming care trait from her mother, Estelle, and always wishes to stay involved in Michael John’s life especially since it was the only child she could bear. Without the strong love and support she gives to her son, Michael John wouldn’t be where he is today without Doreen Halligan. Fatherhood History Michael John actually bears the same name as his father, Michael J. Halligan, Sr. (who goes by Michael). Michael was raised in the small New England town of Salem, Massachusetts. Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Houston, TX to stay clear of the drastic blizzards and cold temperatures in the Northeast. Michael’s parents, Joanne, and the late John Halligan (deceased 2007), both maintain Irish origin, and both also loving cooking just like Doreen’s family does. Michael is the oldest of four siblings for he has two younger brothers, Peter and late Matthew (deceased 1988), and one younger sister, Jennifer. He attended college at Lamar University, studying Mechanical Engineering, in the even smaller town of Beaumont, TX in the southwest. Before Michael’s current life with his son, Michael John and wife, Doreen, he had an early young marriage that happened in the latter half of his college career. Michael was married to Cindy Carr for seven years (1980-87) and had a daughter, who is now Michael John’s 26-year-old half sister, Heather Halligan. After realizing his marriage was falling apart and happened at a young age, Michael and Cindy divorced and agreed to joint custody for their daughter, Heather. One year later in 1988, Michael met Doreen over a phone call and the two clicked instantly. They dated for almost a year until Michael realized who is true love really was and proposed to Doreen at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Downtown Dallas, TX. The two got married in 1989, and had their only child, Michael John on August 7, 1991. To this day, the Halligan family focuses on journeying through successful paths by making right choices, remaining responsible throughout life’s obstacles, and still maintaining a sense of care and love specifically towards family. Family Comes First The most important rule, aspect, and value in all of Michael John’s life would have to be the ideal that family comes first. He believes that if family always gets put before others, he will lead a happier and more successful life. The number one rule to Michael John’s family specifically is to treat others how you want to be treated through respect and love because family will always come first and will always love no matter what. As Michael John grew up, both of his parents worked with Michael having a full time sales job, and Doreen committing to a part time accountant position with both of them working in the same building. When they couldn’t watch Michael John, aunt Joan and Uncle Mike would take care of him in the evenings if his parents were working late. Family is about commitment and Michael John’s family is always committed to being there for each other through any challenge or obstacle they must face. The Halligan and the Ferrara families go hand in hand with interacting well with each other to give Michael John the privileged life he has today. Family Tree Category:Students